The Supervision and Management Mode of Disinfection Supply Center Improves the Standardization of Sterile Goods Management in Clinical Departments.

Background: In daily inspection, the nonstandard management of sterile articles in clinical departments of hospitals often leads to the destruction of the sterilization effectiveness of sterile articles. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen governance and improve this phenomenon. This study intends to investigate the mode in which the disinfection supply center participates in the supervision and management of the management of sterile items in clinical departments. It played a role in improving the standardization of the management of sterile articles in clinical departments and ensured the closed-loop management of the sterilization effectiveness of sterile articles. Methods: Every quarter, the disinfection supply center of our hospital will inspect the standardized management of sterile articles in all clinical departments of the hospital, mainly including the storage environment and facilities of sterile articles, the cleanliness of storage cabinets, placement principles, whether they are stored by category, and the quality and validity management of sterile articles. The quarterly inspection results were summarized and analyzed to find the existing problems and the causes. The disinfection supply center shall supervise the improvement. After the disinfection supply center inspected the standardized management of sterile articles in all clinical departments of the hospital for the first time according to the inspection contents, under the guidance and assistance of the nursing department and the hospital infection department, it improved the sterile article management system, conducted knowledge training for the whole hospital, and incorporated the standardized management of clinical sterile articles into the quality control inspection of the nursing department. In the later stage, the disinfection supply center is responsible for conducting routine inspection and supervision on the standardized management of sterile articles in all clinical departments of the hospital every quarter according to the inspection contents, including summarizing, analyzing, and urging the clinical departments to achieve the improvement of the management of sterile articles in clinical departments. Results: The standardization of aseptic articles after improvement was significantly higher than before and during improvement, and the qualified rate was significantly different (99.4% vs 97.9% vs 89.5%, P < 0.05). The average number of lost packages caused by nonstandard management in the department was significantly reduced. The average rate of lost sterile packages during and after the improvement was significantly lower than that before the improvement (10.5% vs 97.9% vs 89.5%, P < 0.05). It also effectively reduced the cost caused by the loss of sterile packages. Conclusion: The disinfection supply center participates in the quality control and management of sterile articles in the nursing department and regularly inspects and supervises the management of sterile articles in clinical departments. It can effectively improve the standardized management of sterile articles in clinical departments, ensure the safety of sterile articles, and form a closed loop of sterilization effectiveness.

Perceptions and Willingness to Undertake Transvaginal Sonography by Women at the Sally Mugabe Central Hospital, Zimbabwe

ntroduction: The acceptability and willingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography by the patients havegeneratedmixedreactionsindifferenthealthcare settings. There is little that is known aboutZimbabweanwomen'sperceptionsandwillingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography and there are no specific guidelines to guide its use. Aim:To evaluate the perception and willingness to undergo Transvaginal Sonography among women attending Obstetrics and Gynaecology clinic at SallyMugabeCentralHospitalinHarare, Zimbabwe.Methods:Across-sectionalsurveyusingastructured questionnaire was conducted between 1 and 30 June 2022. Atotal of 170 women attending the obstetrics and gynaecology clinic at Sally MugabeCentralHospitalwereselectedbyconsecutive sampling to participate in the study.Results:The majority of women (81.76%) had no previous TVS experience, with an equally large proportion (60.84%) not having seen a TVS probe before. Most of the women would prefer female sonographers (85.37%) to conduct the examination. In addition, about 58% of the participants concurred that a chaperone should be present. Less than half of the females (47.93%) were eager to have a TVS done on them. Equally, just 45% of the females said they would encourage others to have a TVS scan. The difference in willingness to undergo a TVS study stratified by employment status was statistically significant (chi-square 7.26, p = 0.03). Conclusion: Our study findings revealed that a large proportion of females had no previous TVS experience, with an equally large proportion not having seen a TVS probe before. Only a sizeable proportion of women were willing to accept TVS provided it is conducted by female sonographers and or in the presence of a chaperone. The findings underscoretheimportanceofeducationandawareness of the benefits of TVS in terms of diagnosis on maternal health outcomes, in the Zimbabwean population.

Impact of negative pressure system on microbiological air quality in a Central Sterile Supply Department.

OBJECTIVE: Guidelines recommend that the cleaning area in a Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) maintain a negative pressure of the environmental air, but how much this system can impact the contamination of the air by bioaerosols in the area is not known. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of negative pressure on CSSD by evaluating the microbiological air quality of this sector. METHODS: Microbiological air samples were collected in two CSSD in the same hospital: one with and one without a negative air pressure system. Outdoor air samples were collected as a comparative control. Andersen six-stage air sampler was used to obtain the microbiological air samples. RESULTS: The concentration of bioaerosols in the CSSD without negative pressure was 273.15 and 206.71 CFU/m3 , while in the CSSD with negative pressure the concentration of bioaerosols was 116.96 CFU/m3 and 131.10 CFU/m3 . The number of isolated colonies in the negative pressure CSSD was significantly lower (P = .01541). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that the negative pressure system in the CSSD cleaning area contributed to the quantitative reduction in bioaerosols. However, the concentration of bioaerosols was lower than that established in the guideline for indoor air quality of many countries. Therefore, it cannot be concluded that CSSDs which do not have a negative pressure system in their cleaning area offer occupational risk.

ARC: An Open Web-Platform for Request/Supply Matching for a Prioritized and Controlled COVID-19 Response.

In 2020 the world was hit by the COVID-19 pandemic putting entire governments and civil societies in crisis mode. Around the globe unprecedented shortages of equipment and qualified personnel were reported in hospitals and diagnostic laboratories. When a crisis is global, supply chains are strained worldwide and external help may not be readily available. In Switzerland, as part of the efforts of the Swiss National COVID-19 Science Task Force, we developed a tailor-made web-based tool where needs and offers for critical laboratory equipment and expertise can be brought together, coordinated, prioritized, and validated. This Academic Resources for COVID-19 (ARC) Platform presents the specialized needs of diagnostic laboratories to academic research groups at universities, allowing the sourcing of said needs from unconventional supply channels, while keeping the entities tasked with coordination of the crisis response in control of each part of the process. An instance of the ARC Platform is operated in Switzerland (arc.epfl.ch) catering to the diagnostic efforts in Switzerland and sourcing from the Swiss academic sector. The underlying technology has been released as open source so that others can adopt the customizable web-platform for need/supply match-making in their own relief efforts, during the COVID-19 pandemic or any future disaster.

Equipamentos biomédicos para atendimento a casos de COVID-19. Ferramenta de inventário para prontidão de instituições de saúde e realocação de equipamentos

O oxigênio é um medicamento essencial para a COVID-19 e, portanto, é muito importante avaliar a disponibilidade de diferentes fontes de oxigênio, bem como dos sistemas de fornecimento e administração ao paciente, para que estes possam ser priorizados, realocados e comparados aos números calculados para a definição de necessidades. Em 4 de abril de 2020, os problemas na cadeia global de abastecimento ainda eram muito relevantes, em decorrência da pandemia de COVID-19. Recomenda-se enfaticamente que os Ministérios da Saúde maximizem o aproveitamento dos insumos e recursos existentes, para permitir uma resposta imediata. Esta é a primeira edição das orientações sobre como conduzir uma avaliação rápida de inventário para determinar a prontidão de uma instituição de saúde, bem como a capacidade de realocação de equipamentos biomédicos para atendimento a casos de COVID-19. Esta ferramenta inclui um questionário (impresso ou digital), juntamente com uma série de cartazes de produtos/dispositivos. Esta ferramenta deve ser usada de acordo com o pacote de materiais sobre doenças (em inglês, disease commodities package, ou DCP) sobre a COVID-19 , a Lista de Prioridades da OMS referente a dispositivos médicos para a COVID-19, e as Especificações Técnicas para sistemas de fornecimento de oxigênio, dispositivos de reanimação e concentradores de oxigênio. Esta ferramenta destina-se a administradores de instituições de saúde, decisores clínicos, gerentes de compras, gerentes de planejamento, engenheiros biomédicos ou engenheiros de infraestrutura para auxiliar na identificação de equipamentos biomédicos prontamente disponíveis para uso imediato e/ou realocação.

Mental state of central sterile supply department staff during COVID-19 epidemic and CART analysis.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 epidemic, the central sterile supply department (CSSD) staff handled many devices, implements and non-disposable protective articles used by suspected or confirmed COVID-19 patients. As a result, the CSSD staff may have experienced psychological stress, however, the mental state of the CSSD staff during the COVID-19 epidemic has been rarely studied. We aim to investigate the mental state of the CSSD staff and relevant influencing factors experienced during the COVID-19 epidemic. METHODS: The survey utilising a general information questionnaire, Chinese perceived stress scale (CPSS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC) was conducted with 423 CSSD staff members from 35 hospitals in Sichuan Province, China. Data was analysed in SPSS24.0. Classification and regression tree (CART) was utilised to analyse variables and find variation between groups. A chi-square test was performed on enumeration data, and t-test and analysis of variance were performed on measurement data. RESULTS: The CSSD staff's SAS score was 37.39 ± 8.458, their CPSS score was 19.21 ± 7.265, and their CD-RISC score was 64.26 ± 15.129 (Tenacity factor score: 31.70 ± 8.066, Strength factor score: 21.60 ± 5.066, Optimism factor scores: 10.96 ± 3.189). The CPSS score was positively correlated with the SAS score (r = 0.66; P < 0.01), the CPSS score was negatively correlated with the CD-RISC score (r = - 0.617, P < 0.01), and the SAS score was negatively correlated with the CD-RISC score (r = - 0.477, P < 0.01). The job position, age, and political status of the CSSD staff were the main factors affecting their mental state; for example, the CPSS score and SAS score of the CSSD nurses were significantly different from those of the CSSD logistic staff (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: During the epidemic, the CSSD staff's psychological resilience was at a low level; the anxiety level of the CSSD nurses was higher than that of the CSSD logistic staff. Therefore, more attention should be given to the mental health of the CSSD staff, including taking protective measures regarding the risk factors to ensure they can maintain a healthy mental state.

Quality of life at work in a central sterile processing department.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the quality of life of nursing professionals who work in a central sterile processing department. METHODS: a descriptive, quantitative, exploratory study, conducted with 82 nursing professionals working in the Central Sterile Processing Department of a University Hospital, from September to November 2017. A semi-structured instrument and the questionnaire "Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36" were used. Results: most of the participants were female, married, aged 31-40 years; 47.6% with 6-10 years of profession, and 82.9% reported working in CSPD for 1-5 years. The most affected quality of life domains were Pain, Vitality, General Health Status and Social Aspects. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed a need for rethinking and re-creating the labor dynamics in CSPD to improve the quality of life of these nursing professionals.

Quality of life at work in a central sterile processing department / Calidad de vida en el trabajo en una central de materiales y esterilización / Qualidade de vida no trabalho numa central de materiais e esterilização

ABSTRACT Objectives: to evaluate the quality of life of nursing professionals who work in a central sterile processing department. Methods: a descriptive, quantitative, exploratory study, conducted with 82 nursing professionals working in the Central Sterile Processing Department of a University Hospital, from September to November 2017. A semi-structured instrument and the questionnaire "Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36" were used. Results: most of the participants were female, married, aged 31-40 years; 47.6% with 6-10 years of profession, and 82.9% reported working in CSPD for 1-5 years. The most affected quality of life domains were Pain, Vitality, General Health Status and Social Aspects. Conclusions: This study showed a need for rethinking and re-creating the labor dynamics in CSPD to improve the quality of life of these nursing professionals.

RESUMEN Objetivos: evaluar la calidad de vida de los profesionales de enfermería que actúan en una central de materiales y esterilización. Métodos: estudio exploratorio, descriptivo, cuantitativo, realizado con 82 profesionales de enfermería que actuaban en una central de materiales y esterilización (CME) de un Hospital Universitario, en el período de septiembre a noviembre de 2017. Se utilizó un instrumento semiestructurado y el cuestionario Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36. Resultados: los participantes eran, en su mayoría, del sexo femenino, estaban casados y en el grupo de edad de 31-40 años; El 47,6% tenía entre 6-10 años de profesión y el 82,9% mencionó el tiempo de servicio en CME de 1-5 años. Los Dominios de calidad de vida más frecuentes fueron Dolor, Vitalidad, Estado General de Salud y Aspectos Sociales. Conclusiones: El estudio reveló que es necesario repensar y recrear la dinámica del trabajo en CME para que se mejore la calidad de vida de esos profesionales de enfermería.

RESUMO Objetivos: avaliar a qualidade de vida dos profissionais de enfermagem que atuam em uma central de materiais e esterilização (CME). Métodos: estudo exploratório, descritivo, quantitativo, realizado com 82 profissionais da enfermagem que atuavam na central de materiais e esterilização de um hospital universitário, no período de setembro a novembro de 2017. Foi aplicado um instrumento semiestruturado e um questionário, "Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36". Resultados: os participantes eram, em maioria, do sexo feminino, casados, na faixa etária de 31-40 anos; 47,6% tinham de 6-10 anos de profissão e 82,9% referiram tempo de serviço em CME de 1-5 anos. Os domínios de qualidade de vida mais atingidos foram Dor, Vitalidade, Estado Geral de Saúde e Aspectos Sociais. Conclusões: O estudo mostrou que é preciso repensar e recriar a dinâmica do trabalho em CME na perspectiva de melhorar a qualidade de vida desses profissionais de enfermagem.

Surgical Instrument Decontamination: A Multistep Process.

Surgical instrument decontamination requires the collective input of facility leaders, OR staff members, and sterile processing department personnel. Individual accountability can ensure that instruments are cleaned according to the manufacturers' written instructions for use, appropriate regulations, and facility policies. Information about the instrument decontamination process-from point of use to sterilization-should help enable perioperative nurses to advocate for and participate in the appropriate implementation of the necessary process steps. Sterile processing department leaders should develop policies and procedures for decontamination of surgical instruments and devices and the various accountabilities for the process steps. They also should help provide education for their staff members and complete required documentation. This article reviews the steps of instrument cleaning and decontamination and provides a framework to help perioperative leaders and educators facilitate these steps in their work environments, prevent instrument damage, and help ensure safe patient care.

Bundles for the central sterile supply department.

BACKGROUND: Traditional resources, such as bundles, can help experts define essential steps of health product processing to prevent infections. The present study developed bundle content construction and validation criteria for central sterile supply departments (CSSDs). METHODS: The present study employed a Delphi technique modified for content evaluation. Eleven professionals with at least 4 years of experience in sterilization were enlisted. Participants discussed main stages of the process virtually and compiled a list of items based on scientific references justified by law and/or logical reasoning. Agreement, disagreement, and/or suggestions on each step resulted in bundles for a CSSD. Items were then reassessed by experts using a Likert scale with a 90% approval criterion. RESULTS: Six bundles were developed: cleaning, inspection, preparation and packaging, sterilization, and storage resulting from 384 responses and 373 agreements (Interassessor coefficient = 97%). DISCUSSIONS: Items obtained from the criteria assessment received majority agreement from the first document. CONCLUSIONS: Agreement among varying professionals was achieved, and bundles were successfully developed to evaluate the processing of goods in CSSDs.

Lean-Oriented Layout Design of a Health Care Facility.

BACKGROUND: In this article, we propose a method that integrates systematic layout planning techniques to lean health care practices aided by multicriteria decision analysis that could be applied to reformulate the layout of health care facilities. METHODS: We analyze a high-variety sterilization unit of a large public hospital located in Brazil. The unit is currently implementing lean practices, and layout changes are required to provide more efficient materials and information flows. RESULTS: Traditional design of health care facilities is not aligned with lean implementation and its underlying practices and principles. We propose the integration of such approaches to enhance their benefits. To rank and select the best layout alternative, a multicriteria decision analysis method (analytic hierarchy process) is adopted. CONCLUSIONS: There are 3 contributions here: the integration of lean principles into traditional health care facility design practices, the use of multicriteria decision analysis to refine the determination of the best layout solution, and the application of our propositions in a real case study.

Application of a sub-specialties management model improves quality control in a central sterile supply department.

BACKGROUND: The management of medical devices is crucial to safe, high-quality surgical care, but has received little attention in the medical literature. This study explored the effect of a sub-specialties management model in the Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD). METHODS: A traditional routine management model (control) was applied from September 2015 through April 2016, and a newly developed sub-specialties management model (observation) was applied from July 2016 through February 2017. Health personnel from various clinical departments were randomly selected to participate as the control (n = 86) and observation (n = 90) groups, respectively. The groups were compared for rates of personnel satisfaction, complaints regarding device errors, and damage of medical devices. RESULTS: The satisfaction score of the observation group (95.8 ± 1.2) was significantly higher than that of the control (90.2 ± 2.3; P = 0.000). The rate of complaints of the observation group (3.3%) was significantly lower than that of the control (11.6%; P = 0.035). The quality control regarding recycle and packing was significantly higher during the observation period than the control period, which favorably influenced the scores for satisfaction. The rate of damage to specialist medical devices during the observation period (0.40%) was lower than during the control period (0.61%; P = 0.003). The theoretical knowledge and practical skills of the CSSD professionals improved after application of the sub-specialties management model. CONCLUSIONS: A management model that considers the requirements of specialist medical devices can improve quality control in the CSSD.

Interdisciplinary approach to the management of medical supplies in the nursing home setting / Abordaje interdisciplinar de la gestión de productos sanitarios en el ámbito sociosanitario

Objective: To describe and evaluate the management of medical supplies by an interdisciplinary team in order to promote their rational use in the nursing home setting. Methods: An interdisciplinary team was set up, coordinated by a Pharmacy Unit including representatives of 18 elderly nursing homes (1,599 beds). Team interventions were assessed in terms of improvements in the management of wound care supplies. In addition, a retrospective descriptive study was carried out on those patients with pressure ulcers, in order to consider future interventions. Results: The team interventions led to a selection of 15% of the 180 wound care supplies from the public tender process. The monthly savings in wound dressing material purchases was at least 17%. Furthermore, a reduction in consumption greater than 50% was found in 7 centres. The prevalence of ulcers was 5.59%. A fourth of these ulcers were originated outside nursing homes. Conclusions: The creation of an interdisciplinary team, in which the pharmacist gets closer to patient needs, and where nurses share responsibility for the selection and management of medical supplies, leads to positive results and represents an opportunity for improvement in elderly care (AU)

Objetivo: Describir y evaluar la gestión de los productos sanitarios por un equipo interdisciplinar con la finalidad de racionalizar su utilización en el ámbito de la atención sociosanitaria. Métodos: Se creó un equipo interdisciplinar coordinado por un servicio de farmacia con representantes de 18 residencias para personas mayores dependientes (1.599 plazas asistenciales). Las intervenciones del equipo se valoraron en términos de mejora en la gestión de los productos sanitarios para curas. Además, se realizó un estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de los pacientes con úlceras por presión para considerar futuras intervenciones. Resultados: Las intervenciones del equipo resultaron en una selección del 15% de los 180 productos sanitarios para curas a partir del concurso público. El ahorro mensual en las compras de productos para cuidado de las úlceras fue como mínimo de un 17%. Además, se constató una reducción en el consumo superior al 50% en 7 centros. La prevalencia de úlceras fue del 5,59%. La cuarta parte de las úlceras tuvo un origen externo a la residencia. Conclusiones: La formación de un equipo interdisciplinar, en el que el farmacéutico se aproxima a las necesidades del paciente, y los profesionales de enfermería comparten la responsabilidad en la selección y gestión de los productos sanitarios, conduce a resultados positivos y supone una oportunidad de mejora en la atención a los mayores (AU)

Supply chain optimization at an academic medical center.

PURPOSE: A successful supply chain optimization project that leveraged technology, engineering principles, and a technician workflow redesign in the setting of a growing health system is described. SUMMARY: With continued rises in medication costs, medication inventory management is increasingly important. Proper management of central pharmacy inventory and floor-stock inventory in automated dispensing cabinets (ADCs) can be challenging. In an effort to improve control of inventory costs in the central pharmacy of a large academic medical center, the pharmacy department implemented a supply chain optimization project in collaboration with the medical center's inhouse team of experts on process improvement and industrial engineering. The project had 2 main components: (1) upgrading and reconfiguring carousel technology within an expanded central pharmacy footprint to generate accurate floor-stock inventory replenishment reports, which resulted in efficiencies within the medication-use system, and (2) implementing a technician workflow redesign and algorithm to right-size the ADC inventory, which decreased inventory stockouts (i.e., incidents of depletion of medication stock) and improved ADC user satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Through a multifaceted approach to inventory management, the number of stockouts per month was decreased and ADC inventory was optimized, resulting in a one-time inventory cost savings of $220,500.

The importance of paper records and their preservation period in a Central Sterile Supply Department: An experience from a oncology center in eastern India.

Everywhere recordkeeping is very essential for future need. This may be required for any audit purposes, legal issues and forgetting any incident. Record keeping is a specialized area in every hospital that is handled by specialized medical records officer for proper management of all important documents for long time preservation purposes. In this article there are various important healthcare sterilization related paper records have been discussed for documentation and preservation purposes. Though several articles on 'retention of medical records' have already been published worldwide but exclusively sterilization related records and their cause of preservation have not been discussed as such. The purpose of the article is to highlight only the essential CSSD paper records and their preservation policy so that this certainly guides to every CSSD in-charge and hospital authority for making a standard guideline of retaining sterilization records in their institution.

Abastecimento de Remédios (6/10)

Confira quais medicamentos chegaram nessa semana ao almoxarifado central. Em poucos dias, os remédios já vão estar disponíveis nas farmácias municipais, normalizando o abastecimento.

Abastecimento de remédios (29/07)

Confira quais medicamentos chegaram nessa semana ao almoxarifado central. Em poucos dias, os remédios já vão estar disponíveis nas farmácias municipais, normalizando o abastecimento. Para facilitar a sua vida, utilize o Aqui Tem Remédio: http://aquitemremedio.prefeitura.sp.g...